Austria wins World Cup match after 28-year hiatus

The Austria national football team has successfully started its long-awaited return to the World Cup. Ralf Rangnick's men secured a 3-1 victory over Jordan in the first round of the group stage, claiming their first three points at a World Cup after a 28-year break. According to Goal.com, reports the news.

The match, hosted at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, held historical significance for Austria. The team last participated in the world's most prestigious tournament in 1998, and fans had not celebrated a victory for that long. As reported by Goal.com, the Austrians took the initiative from the start of the game.

In the 20th minute, Romano Schmid opened the scoring with a powerful strike to put his team ahead. Ralf Rangnick's side, which held 62% possession in the first half, seemed to be in full control of the game. However, the Jordan national team, making its World Cup debut, showed they were not prepared to give up easily.

Dramatic turns in the second half

At the start of the second half, the Jordanians launched an unexpected attack. In the 50th minute, Ali Olwan found space inside the penalty area and restored balance with a precise shot. This goal slightly rattled the Austrian team, and attacks led by Marcel Sabitzer and Sasa Kalajdzic struggled to break through the opponent's dense defense.

To change the situation, Ralf Rangnick brought on experienced striker Marko Arnautovic. The former star of Inter and Stoke City managed to score in the 69th minute, but after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed as Stefan Posch was found to have handled the ball during the attack.

Nevertheless, Austria's pressure paid off in the 76th minute. A corner kick taken by Marcel Sabitzer caused chaos in the Jordanian defense, leading Yazan Al-Arab to score an own goal. The final score was sealed late in the game by the experienced Marko Arnautovic, ensuring a crucial victory for his team.

This victory creates a great opportunity for Austria to secure a playoff spot in Group J. Despite the defeat, Jordan proved it could put up a worthy fight against a favorite in its debut match. In the coming rounds, Austria will seek to consolidate its lead in the group.